U.S. patent application number 10/494254 was filed with the patent office on 2005-04-14 for method and apparatus for text messaging.
Invention is credited to Beardow, Paul Rowland.
Application Number | 20050081150 10/494254 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 9925125 |
Filed Date | 2005-04-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050081150 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Beardow, Paul Rowland |
April 14, 2005 |
Method and apparatus for text messaging
Abstract
Apparatus (10) for generating text messages comprises means for
selecting, from a library, a sequence of text images (22) to form a
message, each text image having associated therewith a sequence of
characters, means to concatenate the characters to form a text
message, and means (12, 14, 16, 18) to send the text message to a
selected recipient (20). Apparatus for receiving and viewing text
messages comprises means (10) to receive a string of characters,
successively comparing the characters in the string with each of a
stored array of groups of characters to seek any match
therebetween, where each group of characters has, associated
therewith, a respective image (22), and means successively to
display the string of characters and the associated image
together.
Inventors: |
Beardow, Paul Rowland;
(Surrey, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROBERT W. J. USHER
PATENT AGENT
1133 BROADWAY, #1515
NEW YORK
NY
10010
|
Family ID: |
9925125 |
Appl. No.: |
10/494254 |
Filed: |
December 10, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
November 1, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB02/04995 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
715/256 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M 1/7243 20210101;
H04M 2250/58 20130101; H04M 1/27475 20200101; H04M 1/72427
20210101; H04W 88/184 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
715/531 |
International
Class: |
G06F 015/00; G06F
017/24; G06F 017/21; G06F 017/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 2, 2001 |
GB |
0126464.7 |
Claims
1. A method for receiving and viewing text messages, including the
steps of: receiving a string of characters; successively comparing
the characters in the string of characters with each of a stored
array of groups of characters to seek any match therebetween, where
each group of characters has, associated therewith, a respective
image; successively displaying the string of characters; and, for
any portion of the string of characters for which a match has been
found, displaying the associated image together with that portion
of the string of characters.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein a said group of characters
has, associated therewith, one or more alternative portions of the
string of characters, a selectable one of said one or more
alternative portions being displayable with said associated
image.
3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the selected
alternative portion is displayed instead of the portion of the
string of characters for which a match was found.
4. A method according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the portion
of the string of characters is displayed in a text box within the
associated image.
5. Apparatus for receiving and viewing text messages, said
apparatus comprising: means to receive a string of characters;
means successively to compare the characters in the string of
characters with each of a stored array of groups of characters to
seek any match there-between, where each group of characters has,
associated therewith, a respective image; means successively to
display the string of characters; and means to display, for any
portion of the string of characters for which a match has been
found, the associated image together with that portion of the
string of characters.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein a said group of
characters has, associated therewith, one or more alternative
portions of the string of characters, a selectable one of said one
or more alternative portions being displayable with said associated
image.
7. Apparatus according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the selected
alternative portion is displayed instead of the portion of the
string of characters for which a match was found.
8. Apparatus according to any of claims 5 to 7 wherein the portion
of the string of characters is displayed in a text box within the
associated image.
9. A method for generating text messages, including the steps of:
selecting, from among a library of text images, a sequence of text
images to form a message, each text image having associated
therewith a sequence of characters; concatenating the sequence of
characters to form a text message; and sending the text message to
a selected recipient.
10. A method according to claim 9 wherein at least some of the text
images are representations, pictograms or ideograms of the content
of associated sequence of characters.
11. A method according to claim 9 or claim 10 wherein a sequence of
characters is independently entered, a textless image is selected
from among a plurality of textless images, and the independently
entered sequence of characters is associated with the selected
textless image and stored in said library as a text image.
12. A method according to any of claims 9 to 11 wherein the
recipient of a text message is selected by selecting an image,
representative of the desired recipient, from among a plurality of
images of prospective recipients.
13. A method according to any of claims 9 to 12 wherein an
independently entered recipient identification is associated with a
selectable one from among a plurality of images, each potentially
representative of a recipient, and stored among said plurality of
images of prospective recipients.
14. A method according to any of claims 9 to 13 wherein an image of
any kind is a caricature, a cartoon, a drawing or a photograph, and
that the image is obtained from a server, a photographic source, by
composition of elements from a store of elements, or from a
pre-decided store.
15. Apparatus for generating text messages, said apparatus
comprising: means for selecting, from among a library of text
images, a sequence of text images to form a message, each text
image having associated therewith a sequence of characters; means
to concatenate the sequence of characters to form a text message;
and means to send the text message to a selected recipient.
16. Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein at least some of the
text images are representations, pictograms or ideograms of the
content of associated sequence of characters.
17. Apparatus according to claim 15 or claim 16 wherein a sequence
of characters can independently be entered, a textless image can be
selected from among a plurality of textless images, and the
independently entered sequence of characters can be associated with
the selected textless image and stored in said library as a text
image.
18. Apparatus according to any of claims 15 to 17 wherein the
recipient of a text message can be selected by selecting an image,
representative of the desired recipient, from among a plurality of
images of prospective recipients.
19. Apparatus according to any of claims 15 to 18 wherein an
independently entered recipient identification can be associated
with a selectable one from among a plurality of images, each
potentially representative of a recipient, and stored among said
plurality of images of prospective recipients.
20. Apparatus according to any of claims 15 to 19 wherein an image
of any kind is a caricature, a cartoon, a drawing or a photograph,
and the image is obtained from a server, a photographic source, by
composition of elements from a store of elements, or from a
pre-decided store.
21. Apparatus according to any of claims 5 to 8 and 15 to 20,
wherein the apparatus is a mobile telephone, a personal digital
assistant or a computer.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to mobile telephones, and
particularly relates to mobile telephones with the ability to send
and receive text messages. Most particularly, the invention relates
to mobile telephones which have, in addition, the ability to
display images on a screen.
[0002] "Texting" is the sending of an alphanumeric characters
string from one mobile telephone to another. A text message is
composed by selecting alphanumeric characters on the display screen
of the mobile telephone originating the text message using the
dialpad keys. A dialpad key may have to be pushed several times
before the desired character is displayed. The character is
confirmed and the display moves on to the next character position.
Once the entire text message has been assembled, it is sent, via
the radio and terrestrial telephone network, to the telephone
number of the receiving mobile telephone, where it is automatically
received and stored to be read, under the control of the user, at a
later time. The composition of a text message, using plural strokes
on individual keys, is time consuming, laborious, and prone to
error. The present invention seeks to provide a more efficient,
more accurate, easier and more entertaining means for composing a
text message.
[0003] Not everyone is literate. The benefits of text messaging are
unavailable to those who cannot read or write. The present
invention seeks to provide a method and apparatus capable of use
and interpretation, without a need for literacy, in a text
messaging environment.
[0004] Not everyone speaks the same language, or knows more than
one language. Text messages, created in a first language, may be
totally unintelligible to a speaker of a second language who has no
knowledge of the first language. The present invention seeks to
provide a method and apparatus for text messaging that provides
intelligibility across language barriers.
[0005] According to a first aspect, the present invention consists
in a method for receiving and viewing text messages, including the
steps of: receiving a string of characters; successively comparing
the characters in the string of characters with each of a stored
array of groups of characters to seek any match there-between,
where each group of characters has, associated therewith, a
respective image; successively displaying the string of characters;
and, for any portion of the string of characters for which a match
has been found, displaying the associated image together with that
portion of the string of characters.
[0006] According to a second aspect, the present invention consists
in an apparatus for receiving and viewing text messages, said
apparatus comprising: means to receive a string of characters;
means successively to compare the characters in the string of
characters with each of a stored array of groups of characters to
seek any match there-between, where each group of characters has,
associated therewith, a respective image; means successively to
display the string of characters; and means to display, for any
portion of the string of characters for which a match has been
found, the associated image together with that portion of the
string of characters.
[0007] The invention further provides that a group of characters
can also have, associated therewith, one or more alternative
portions of the string of characters, a selectable one of said one
or more alternative portions being displayable with said associated
image.
[0008] The invention further provides that the selected alternative
portion can be displayed instead of the portion of the string of
characters for which a match was found.
[0009] The invention further provides that the portion of the
string of characters can be displayed in a text box within the
associated image.
[0010] According to a third aspect, the present invention consists
in a method for generating text messages, including the steps of:
selecting, from among a library of text images, a sequence of text
images to form a message, each text image having associated
therewith a sequence of characters; concatenating the sequence of
characters to form a text message; and sending the text message to
a selected recipient.
[0011] According to a fourth aspect, the present invention consists
in an apparatus for generating text messages, said apparatus
comprising: means for selecting, from among a library of text
images, a sequence of text images to form a message, each text
image having associated therewith a sequence of characters; means
to concatenate the sequence of characters to form a text message;
and means to send the text message to a selected recipient.
[0012] The present invention further provides that at least some of
the text images are representations, pictograms or ideograms of the
content of associated sequence of characters.
[0013] The present invention further provides that a sequence of
characters can independently be entered, that a textless image can
be selected from among a plurality of textless images, and that the
independently entered sequence of characters can be associated with
the selected textless image and stored in said library as a text
image.
[0014] The present invention further provides that the recipient of
a text message can be selected by selecting an image,
representative of the desired recipient, from among a plurality of
images of prospective recipients.
[0015] The present invention further provides that an independently
entered recipient identification can be associated with a
selectable one from among a plurality of images, each potentially
representative of a recipient, and stored among said plurality of
images of prospective recipients.
[0016] The present invention further provides that an image of any
kind can be a caricature, a cartoon, a drawing or a photograph, and
that the image can be obtained from a server, a photographic
source, by composition of elements from a store of elements, or
from a pre-decided store.
[0017] The present invention further provides that the apparatus
can be a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant or a
computer.
[0018] The present invention is further explained, by way of
example, by the following description, read in conjunction with the
appended drawings, in which:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the environment in which
the preferred embodiment of the invention is practised.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary screen, on the mobile telephone of
FIG. 1, used to select the recipient of a text message.
[0021] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary screen, on a text message
originating mobile telephone where a text message recipient has
been selected.
[0022] FIG. 4, 5, 6 and 7 show different emotional icons
(Emoticons) which can be appended to a text message.
[0023] FIGS. 8A and 8B show how a simple text and pictographic
message can be assembled using a "standard set" of message
icons.
[0024] FIGS. 9A and 9B show how a simple message of FIGS. 8A and 8B
can, on receipt, be changed to another language.
[0025] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing how a mobile telephone can
construct and send a text message according to the present
invention.
[0026] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the manner in which a text
message, according to the present invention, can be received even
by a mobile telephone which is not equipped to display images.
[0027] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing how a mobile telephone can
acquire icons for use in creating or receiving text messages.
[0028] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the fine detail of how a text
message can be assembled.
[0029] FIG. 14 is a flowchart, elaborating over the flowchart of
FIG. 11, showing how a text message can be received in a manner
permitting the language change illustrated between FIGS. 8A and 8B
and 9A and 9B.
[0030] Attention is drawn to FIG. 1, showing the general
environment in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is
practised.
[0031] A mobile telephone 10 is in radio communication with a
mobile telephone network base station 12 which is, in turn,
connected via the terrestrial telephone network 14 to other base
stations 16 and one or more servers 18. The terrestrial telephone
network 14 can comprise land lines, high band width cables, and
microwave and satellite links. The terrestrial telephone network 14
allows connection to other mobile telephones 20, fixed telephones
and fixed computer terminals. A mobile telephone 10 can access a
server 18 for data, information and other resources. The base
stations 12 can be on any style or generation of mobile telephone
system, provided it has the ability to transfer text messages. The
mobile telephone 10, which in this example is taken to be a mobile
telephone 10 capable of sending text messages according to the
present invention, comprises a screen 22 capable of displaying
images.
[0032] The mobile telephone 10 is the preferred method of
transmission and reception in the chosen embodiment of the present
invention. It is to be appreciated that the present invention
encompasses any means for sending and receiving text messages and
is not limited to mobile telephones 10, 20 or a mobile telephone
network 12, 14, 16. The present invention equally allows personal
digital assistants (PDA), computers and computer terminals to
communicate through any other system including, for example, the
internet, by satellite, or by direct wire or cable connection.
[0033] Attention is drawn to FIG. 2, showing an exemplary image on
the screen 22 which can be displayed when commencing a text
message.
[0034] The first act, when creating a text message, is usually to
select the recipient for the text message. It is to be understood
that the recipient can also be selected after the text message has
been assembled. In this example, the recipient is identified before
assembling the text message.
[0035] Using control buttons on the mobile telephone 10, a "select
recipient" option is chosen which causes images of proposed
recipients 24 to be displayed on the screen 22 and to be moved in a
scrolling fashion as indicated by arrow 26 until the image of the
required recipient is at centre screen or some other selection
point.
[0036] When the image of the actual recipient 28 is at centre
screen, the user of the mobile telephone 10 chooses an "accept
recipient" option, which leaves the single image of the actual
recipient 28, on the screen 22, as shown in FIG. 3.
[0037] The proposed recipients 24 and the actual recipients 28,
shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, are cartoon caricatures which can be
downloaded from a server 18, created by the user of the mobile
telephone 10 themselves, or can be derived from a store of possible
images maintained in accessible memory in the mobile telephone 10.
Equally, instead of cartoon faces, actual photographic images of
proposed recipients 24 and actual recipients 28 can be used. Other
images and symbols can also be used. For example, images of
different animals or creatures such as a bear, a tortoise and so
on, can be used.
[0038] Attention is drawn to FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7, showing different
ways in which a text message can be assembled according to the
present invention.
[0039] A text message 30 is assembled using the keys on the mobile
telephone 10 in the normal way. An emoticon 32 is appended, by key
strokes well known in text messaging, to the text message 30. This
has the effect of calling up a related image 34 which, graphically,
expresses the feeling of the emoticon 32. The text message 30 and
the emoticon 32 are displayed within a text bubble 36. A different
related image 34 is provided for each emoticon 32. FIG. 4 shows the
related image 34 for a happy emoticon 32. FIG. 5 shows the related
image 34A for an angry emoticon 38. FIG. 6 shows the related image
34B for an excited emoticon 40. FIG. 7 shows the related image 34C
for an unhappy emoticon 42. It is to be appreciated that different
forms of related image 34 can be used, and that the text message 30
and the emoticons 32, 38, 40, 42 can be displayed elsewhere on the
screen other than in a text bubble 36.
[0040] Attention is next drawn to FIGS. 8A and 8B which show, in
sequence, a simply constructed message from a standard set of
selectable icons. Each member of the standard set comes with its
own image and its own message. For example, in FIG. 8A a telephone
call icon 44 comes with a standard message 46 indicating that the
sender will place a telephone call. The sender simply scrolls
through a selection of standard set icons and selects, in order,
those which make up the desired message. In FIG. 8B a standard set
time icon 48 has been selected to indicate, with its standard
message 46, the time "at four o'clock". The two consecutive images
in FIGS. 8A and 8B therefore convey the message "I will telephone
you at four o'clock". Because of the pictographic or ideographic
quality of the images, a person who cannot read will be able to
understand, by looking at the sequence of standard icons 44, 48
what is the message that is conveyed. The standard message
characters 46 are sent as if they had been keyed on the mobile
telephone 10 by the user. Thus, all that is transmitted is the
standard message 46 selected in each instance.
[0041] Attention is now drawn to FIGS. 9A and 9B showing how
language translation of the elements transmitted in FIGS. 8A and 8B
can be achieved on reception.
[0042] On receipt, if the receiving mobile telephone 10 is enabled
with full graphic and standard set capacity, the same standard set
icons 44, 48 appear. However, the standard messages 46 are of a
limited number and of a fixed form. The receiving mobile telephone
10 can either display the standard messages 46 as they are
received, or can consult a library of standard messages 46 to find
a match. Because of the limited number of standard messages 46, it
is a very fast and easy task to achieve. Once a match has been
found, a selected standard message 48 can be displayed in place of
the actual standard message 46 that was received. In the example
given in FIGS. 9A and 9B the standard message 46 has been
translated into a corresponding selected message 48 in the French
language. Thus, a sender of a text message in English is able to
obtain automatic translation into another language. This would
still happen even if the receiving mobile telephone 10 were
incapable of showing the standard set icons 44, 48. The recognition
of the incoming standard message 46 causes the appropriate standard
set icons 44, 48 to be displayed.
[0043] This feature is useful, not only for language translation,
but also for passing messages which would not be understandable to
others, For example "cup of tea" might be displayed as "glass of
beer in the bar" or "cannot see you" might be displayed as "meet
you at the usual place". All that is required is that the recipient
has, in their mobile telephone, a suitable alternative message
agreed with the sender. As will later be seen, it is possible,
within the invention, to provide such alternative messages.
[0044] Attention is drawn to FIG. 10, which is a flowchart of the
manner in which a mobile telephone 10 can construct a text message
according to the present invention.
[0045] From entry 52 a first test 54 checks to see if the user has
elected to send a text message. If not, a first operation 56
continues the normal function of the mobile telephone 10 until
there is a change.
[0046] If the first test 54 has detected that the user of the
mobile telephone 10 wishes to send a text message, a second test 58
checks to see if the user wishes to dial the recipient via the
keyboard on the mobile telephone 10, or to use the image process
otherwise described in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.
[0047] If the user of the mobile telephone 10 wishes to dial in the
normal manner, a second operation 60 allows the keyboard on the
mobile telephone 10 to be used to select the recipient of the text
message in the normal manner. The second operation 60 then passes
control to a third test 62 which checks to see whether or not the
text message is to be assembled in pictorial or keyboard mode. The
third test 62 will be described in more detail hereafter.
[0048] If, in the second test 58, the user elects to select the
recipient of the text message using the pictorial mode, a third
operation 64 calls out, from the memory of the mobile telephone 10,
the images of proposed recipients 24 for display on the screen 22.
In a fourth operation 66 the user scrolls through the displayed
array of proposed recipients 24 until a fourth test 68 detects that
the correct image has been selected (by way of the user's
indication) when control passes to a fifth operation 70 where the
name and phone number of the actual recipient 28 are automatically
selected as the destination of the text message. Control then
passes to the third test 62, earlier briefly described.
[0049] The third test 62 checks the user's desire either to use a
pictorial mode for creating a text message or to use the ordinary
keyboard mode, known in the prior art.
[0050] If the user elects to use the keyboard manner of creating a
text message, a sixth operation 72 compiles the text message using
the multiple stroke of dial pad keys according to the known prior
art. Thereafter a seventh operation 74 sends the message in the
normal way and returns control to the first test 54.
[0051] If, at the third test 62, the user elects to compose the
text message using the pictorial manner, an eighth operation 76
calls out, from the memory of the mobile telephone 10, a selection
of images which can be attached to text messages. As will later be
described, a standard set image may be called out, in which case
its standard message 46 is fixed for the particular image, or
additional images (as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7) may be called
out to have text added thereto.
[0052] In a ninth operation 78 the user of the mobile telephone 10
scrolls through the message images until a fifth test 80 detects
that the user has found an appropriate image. The tenth operation
82 then selects that image for the message. As will later be
described, text can be embedded in that message image in various
ways.
[0053] A sixth test 84 checks to see if the entire message,
according to the user, has been assembled. If it has not, control
passes back to the ninth operation 78, where a new image is
selected. If it is the end of the message, control passes to the
seventh operation 74 where the message is assembled and sent in the
normal manner.
[0054] Attention is drawn to FIG. 11, a flow chart showing how a
mobile telephone 10 can receive a text message according to the
present invention.
[0055] From entry 86, an eleventh operation 88 looks at the first
block of text which has been received. A twelfth operation compares
that block with the blocks stored in a library in the memory of the
mobile telephone 10. If a seventh test 92 locates an icon in the
library, which corresponds to one or more elements in the block of
text, the icon is displayed in a thirteenth operation 94. If an
eighth test 96 detects that the entire message has been viewed, the
process terminates in exit 98. If the entire message has not been
viewed, a fourteenth operation 100 brings in the next block of text
and returns control to the twelfth operation 90. In the thirteen
operation 94 the icon is displayed, together with the text which
evoked the icon, in the text bubble.
[0056] If the seventh test 92 did not find a match in the twelfth
operation 90 where the incoming text is compared with a library of
matchable text, a fifteenth operation 102 displays simply the text
as it was received.
[0057] Although, in association with FIG. 11, the text has been
shown to be matched in blocks to text templates in the library held
in the memory of the mobile telephone in the twelfth operation 90,
it is to be appreciated that matching can be accomplished character
by character if so required. This is especially important where
emoticons are concerned.
[0058] In the scheme shown in FIG. 11, a received message, when
viewed, will have any associated icons scrolled across the screen
as the message is read. The scrolling can be automatic or
controlled by the user. As a particular text block or character is
called onto the screen 22, its associated icon is displayed and
moves across the screen 22. If no icon can be associated with a
piece of text, the simple text is displayed. As an icon evoking
text block or character leaves the screen 22, its associated icon
disappears.
[0059] By this means, a mobile telephone 10, equipped to display
pictorial mode according to the present invention, can equally
display plain text derived from a mobile telephone 10 of simpler
design. Equally, because, according to the present invention, only
the normal text characters are sent in a text message, a message,
originating from a mobile telephone 10 according to the present
invention, can be read by a normal mobile telephone 10 of simpler
design.
[0060] Attention is drawn to FIG. 12, showing the manner in which a
mobile telephone 10 can acquire a new icon for use in any of the
activities described in conjunction with the previous figures. For
example, an icon might be needed to provide a visual address for a
new recipient. Equally, a new icon may be required to accept a text
bubble, or a new icon for a fixed set may also be required.
[0061] From entry 104, a ninth test 108 checks to see if the user
requires a new icon for whatever task he is presently undertaking.
If no new icon is required, control passes to exit 110 where the
user carries on with whatever task he happens to be performing.
[0062] If the ninth test 108 detects that a new icon is required,
control is first passed to a sixteenth operation 112 which looks
into the memory of the mobile telephone 10 and extracts any icons
or visual images or photographs. The user can examine what is
present, and select a suitable icon for his purpose. If a tenth
test 114 detects that the user has found a suitable icon, a
seventeenth operation 116 has the user select the icon from the
memory of the mobile telephone 10 and then proceed, with that icon,
to exit 110.
[0063] If the tenth test 114 detects that the user has been unable
to find an acceptable icon or image in the memory of the mobile
telephone 10, an eighteenth operation 118 has the mobile telephone
10 call up the server 18 (otherwise shown in FIG. 1) via the base
station 12 and the terrestrial telephone network 14 to obtain a
suitable icon or image. The server 18 provides sight of what it has
available and an eleventh test 120 monitors to see if the user can
find an acceptable icon image or photograph. If the user cannot
find, in the server 18, a suitable icon image or photograph, then
the user has been totally unable to locate an acceptable image
source, and leaves the routine via exit 110 without having found
what he requires. Procedure will then be strictly on an
alphanumeric basis.
[0064] If, however, the eleventh test 120 detects that the user has
found a satisfactory icon, image or photograph in the server 18,
control passes to a nineteenth operation 124 where the acceptable
image is selected and downloaded to the mobile telephone 10 for use
thereafter, and control then passes to exit 110 for the user to
continue with whichever task required the new icon image or
photograph.
[0065] Attention is drawn to FIG. 13 showing a flow chart detailing
how a text message can be assembled. The flow chart of FIG. 13
corresponds, roughly, to the activities described in the eighth
operation 76, the ninth operation 78, the fifth test 80 and the
tenth operation 82, all shown in FIG. 10.
[0066] From entry 126, a twelfth test 128 checks to see if the
compiler of the text message wishes to use a "complete" stored
icon. If the compiler does not wish so to do, a twentieth operation
130 has the compiler enter text to be stored in an icon text
bubble. Thereafter, a twenty-first operation 132 has the compiler
scroll through available icons to select an icon to carry the text
entered in the twentieth operation 130. A twenty-second operation
134 then has the text, entered in the twentieth operation 130,
added to the text bubble 36 of the selected icon. At this stage it
is to be appreciated that the selected icon will not be
transmitted. Only the text, in its text bubble 36, will be
transmitted. However, the selected icon forms a convenient vehicle
for storing a pre-recorded message. After the twenty-third
operation 136 has added the completed icon to the message, a
thirteenth test 138 checks to see if the compiler wishes to save
the block message entered in the thirtieth operation 130. If the
compiler does not wish so to do, the selection of a component for
the text message is complete and operation proceeds to exit 140.
If, however, the compiler does wish to save the text, entered in
the twentieth operation 130, a twenty-fourth operation 142 stores
the complete "home-made" icon in the mobile telephone 10 such that
it can be recalled complete with fixed message. Thereafter, control
passes to exit 140.
[0067] In the way described immediately above, text of a fixed
nature can be stored within the mobile telephone 10 to be recalled
as a block. Messages may be recalled by the icon, with its text
bubble, being selected on the basis of an image from among a
plurality of home-made complete icons which have been similarly
stored. The recipient of the home-made fixed message need not
display any icon on receipt of the fixed home-made message unless
the recipient has pre-programmed his mobile telephone 10 to display
an icon.
[0068] The twelfth test 128 may detect that the compiler of a text
message does indeed desire to use a stored complete icon for his
message. A fourteenth test 144 checks to see if the compiler
desires to use a complete icon from a standard set, such as was
described with reference to FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A and 9B. If the
compiler so desires, a twenty-fifth operation 146 allows the
compiler to scroll through complete icons from the standard set and
to select the icon to be added into the message. Thereafter control
passes to exit 140.
[0069] If the fourteenth test 144 does not detect that the compiler
wishes to use a complete icon from a standard set, control passes
to a twenty-sixth operation 148 where the compiler of the text
message can scroll through and select from among one or more
home-made complete icons as earlier discussed with reference to the
twenty-fourth operation 142. When a home-made complete icon has
been selected, control once again passes to exit 140.
[0070] Once again, it should be emphasised that when a text message
is sent, only the alphanumeric characters and keystrokes are sent.
Where an icon appears in a message on a receiving mobile telephone
10, it is because the receiving mobile telephone 10 has called the
icon from its own store of images to be appended to an
appropriately detected portion of a text message.
[0071] Attention is now drawn to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 shows how a
mobile telephone 10 can receive a text message, according to the
present invention and, in particular, can achieve language
translation as illustrated between FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A and 9B.
[0072] When receiving a text message, a mobile telephone 10,
configured according to the present invention, commences with entry
150 and thereafter with a twenty-seventh operation 152 where the
receiving mobile telephone 10 begins to examine the text message
which it has previously received and stored. A first element, which
can be a single character or a block of text, is accepted. Then a
twenty-eighth operation 154 compares the text received in the
twenty-seventh operation 152 with the contents of a library of text
elements, blocks and strings. If an element, received in the
twenty-seventh operation 152, matches a stored string in the
library, an appropriate icon, associated with that string in the
library, is activated. If a fifteenth test 156 discovers that there
is a match in the library of icons, a twenty-ninth operation 158
causes the matched icon to be displayed with the associated test in
its text bubble 36. If a sixteenth test 160 detects that it is the
end of the whole message which has been received by the receiving
mobile telephone 10, the reading process is terminated via exit
162. If the sixteenth test 160 does not detect that it is the end
of the whole message, a thirtieth operation 164 accepts the next
block of text which the receiving mobile telephone 10 has
previously received, and returns control to the twenty-eighth
operation 154 to look for more matches with icons.
[0073] If the fifteenth test 156 does not detect a match between
the incoming text and the icons stored in the library, a
thirty-first operation 166 compares the incoming text with the text
set available with the individual icons in each element of a
standard set of icons, as illustrated in FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A and 9B.
If a seventeenth test 168 can find no match with the incoming text
and the text set associated with the standard set, a thirty-second
operation 170 simply displays the text, as it is received, without
any icons, and returns control to the sixteenth test 160. If,
however, the seventeenth test 168 does detect a match between the
text character sets in the standard set of the thirty-first
operation 166 and the incoming text characters, control is passed
to a thirty-third operation 172 which selects one of the sets of
associated text to be displayed in the appropriate icon. If, for
example, the incoming text block was in English, the user of the
receiving mobile telephone 10 can elect that the thirty-third
operation 172 displays the associated French version of the text in
the text bubble of the appropriate icon. Thus, receiving text in
one language, finding a match with that language version in a set
of versions in different languages, and displaying the text in the
selected different language enables automatic translation of simple
messages from one language to another.
[0074] The action of the thirty-third operation 172 in displaying
the other language version (which, equally, could be the same
language) being done, control passes to the sixteenth test 160.
[0075] To summarise the present invention, a mobile telephone 10,
enabled according to the present invention, can compose and send
text messages using graphics. The composed text message is sent as
a simple stream of alphanumeric characters which can also be
decoded by a mobile telephone 10, which is not enabled according to
the present invention. When received by a mobile telephone 10,
configured according to the present invention, graphic material
such as icons or photographs may be called from a memory to be
displayed with the text message as a match is found between the
text message key relating to that icon or image and the incoming
text stream. Text message material where no match is found is
displayed in the normal way. Text messages can be stored in the
transmitting mobile telephone 10 to be called up as a graphic to
send a fixed message. A standard set of icons with fixed text in
various languages can be called up by the sender and, on receipt,
can be recognised and the text displayed in the language of choice
of the receiver of the text message.
* * * * *